Baxter State Park - Celia, Jackson, Little Beaver and Rocky Ponds Trails and Abol Trail and Campground

A little over two years ago I hiked Mt. Katahdin up the Abol Trail.  It was one of the most difficult hikes I've done and afterwards I was completely spent.  Towards the end of the hike I had run out of water and food and was overwhelmingly tired.  This weekend I helped a group of co-workers hike Katahdin and also explored more of Baxter State Park.  

My friend Chris and I arrived at the park on Friday and after setting up camp at Abol Campground, we explored the Celia and Jackson Pond Trail, along with a side trail to Little Beaver Pond.  The fairly level trail leaves the Kidney Pond day use parking area and heads through the woods, first reaching the small and grassy shored Celia Pond on the way to Jackson Pond.  On the way back we explored the remote Little Beaver Pond.  Other than two people on a canoe, we did not see a single person on our hike.

Jackson Pond

Celia Pond

We returned to our lean-to for the night and woke the next morning to help a group of 10 co-workers get started on their way up the Hunt Trail to Mt. Katahdin.  More friends soon arrived and while the group of 10 hiked Katahdin, our smaller group explored the Rocky Pond Trail.  

Rocky Pond

We returned to camp for lunch and afterwards prepared for the return of the Katahdin hikers.  Once four of the 10 returned, I set out to provide snacks, water and moral support to the remaining six hikers in the group as they completed the last section of Abol Trail.  Hiking the Abol trail knowing that I wasn't going to be attempting to summit the mountain was refreshing, and allowed me to focus on the beauty of the trail.  Around 1.5 miles in, I encountered the rest of the group and, after a brief snack and water break, accompanied them back to camp.  Our smaller group prepared dinner for the Katahdin hikers and then shuttled them back to their van.

 

Abol Trail

 

Here is a map of our hikes.